As small as it is charming, as wild as it is welcoming and as mountainous as it is verdant, Montenegro deserves the detour on your next summer vacation.


Bordering five other wine-producing countries (Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo and Albania), the country has barely 680,000 inhabitants (less than Marseille, for example). And with 4300 hectares planted⁽¹⁾, this little European Tom Thumb progressively tries to make its way in the wine landscape… but has not finished to surprise us. Overview.

VITICULTURE CONCENTRATED AROUND PODGORICA, THE CAPITAL

From the south of Croatia, it took us a little more than 3 hours by motorhome to cover the 150 km that separate the coast, to the west, from the Podgorica region, to the east, where the Montenegrin vineyard is located. To go inland, we had to follow winding roads, with innumerable turns.


The mountains of Montenegro are among the most hilly roads in Europe… and I can assure you that it was climbing. But the beauty of the scenery overcame the fatigue of the road. Here, nature is beautiful and preserved. Everything is green during spring. Along the majestic Skadar Lake, we finally reached the Petrovac valley, which adjoins Podgorica.

It is here that we discovered Zenta, a family vineyard of 4 hectares, where Drasko Vučinić, aided by his aunt Dragica, produces superb red wines from Vranac, an indigenous grape variety, among others.


“We have a very interesting microclimate for the cultivation of vines, since we are in the most southern part of the Adriatic coast. The result is a temperate climate with mild nights and sunny days in summer, and regular rainfall, concentrated in winter and spring”. Be careful where you step though, some horned vipers hang out here in summer! Fortunately, the cats in the field stand guard. And the place remains idyllic.

WHEN PAINTING, WINE AND MUSIC GO HAND IN HAND

An invitation can’t be refused. Especially when it hides a beautiful surprise.


Welcome to the Ćetković winery, in the village of Beri (15 minutes from Podgorica), a vineyard of 3,200 vines (barely one hectare), planted with Vranac and Marselan, producing 4,000 bottles per year.

A peaceful place, founded by Vucic Ćetković (painter) and his cousin Vuk Ćetković (oenologist) less than five years ago. Why such a project? “We wanted to continue the wine tradition of our grandfather who was already making wine on this land”, the two men said unanimously.


We discovered with great pleasure their concept, around “Art and Wine”. A formula that is not new, some people will say. Perhaps. Except that here, everything fits wonderfully.

The tasting cellar is none other than the painting workshop of Vucic. The place is full of good vibrations and positive energy. A little paradise… Especially when tasting some good Montenegrin red wines, with music beautifully played by the duo formed by Vucic’s girlfriend, Milena Vukovic (violin) and her friend Milica Vujovic (cello).


A pure moment of sharing and joy!

PLANTAZE, THE EUROPEAN GIANT

Curious as we are, we could not visit Montenegro without stopping at the estate Plantaže, which alone accounts for more than 80% of the country’s wine production⁽²⁾.


With 2,310 hectares – and 11.5 million vines planted – Plantaže is today the largest single vineyard in Europe.

Rather impressive, even paradoxical, to find such a large estate in such a small country. “The most significant phase in the development of Plantaže was the realization of the project called The Plains of Ćemovsko in 1970, when 2,000 hectares of vines and orchards were planted, in addition to the existing vineyard. At the time, it was the biggest project in Europe”, we were told.


For the anecdote, part of the current vineyard was planted on the former military airport of the country, which moved its activities to the Independence of Montenegro in 2006.

And it is on the old aerial track of 2178 m – from which the planes took off – that we went through the vineyard by car, vines passing on each side of the cockpit, as far as the eye can see. In the neighboring mountain, the underground military hangar which was built to protect and maintain the equipment, has now been converted into a cellar by Plantaže for aging its wines. A striking and magical place.


On the wine side, some very nice surprises. The vineyard is bordered by a chain of limestone hills, benefiting from very beautiful poor soils with a sandy tendency, on which mainly Vranac (70% of the production) are grown, alongside a multitude of international varieties.

MAKING HOUSE-WINE IN MONTENEGRO, A THOUSAND-YEAR-OLD TRADITION 

“Every household here makes wine and distills for its own consumption.


It’s a millennial tradition since Roman times”, according to Miloš Rajković, the third generation of winegrowers on the BUK estate, who welcomed us with a glass of Rakija, a national brandy made from grapes!

It is in the peaceful village of Bukovic that this young enthusiast produces 11,000 bottles of wine a year, from Vranac, Marselan (he was the first to introduce this grape variety in the country in 2005), Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Muscat Ottonel. His favorite pastime: being in the cellar to make the blends. At the forefront of equipment technology (wine press, vats, fudges…), its red wines are delicious and full of freshness.


A very nice winegrower and a family that welcomes one with huge smiles. Even their dog looks like a huge plush! We loved it.

Seven kilometers away, after taking a few narrow paths in the forest, where our camper van was just passing through, we finally found the charming village of Utrg, 10km from the Adriatic (to the east) and the Skadar Lake (to the west). An appointment was taken with the Vukmanović estate, as the last visit of our journey.


A micro vineyard of 1 hectare, perched at 380m above sea level, mainly producing red wines from the Vranac, Kratosija⁽³⁾ and Lisičina native varieties. Another little corner of paradise, where the water of the mountains is drunk directly at the source!

Aleksandar Vukmanović, 13th generation of winemakers on the estate, shares his week between his job as an electrical engineer and his passion for wine. “I like to perpetuate the tradition. Working in the vineyard three days a week, as well as on weekends and during my holidays”, said this non-standard and very sympathetic winegrower, back from a walk in the mountains.


The tasting was done under the trees, to the sound of the bees that foraged around us. The moment was out of time.

Thank you to Zenta, Ćetković, Vukmanović, Buk and Plantaže estates for their warm welcome. And special thanks to Vucic Ćetković, founder of the Art & Wine HouseMontenegro concept and his family for giving us such a nice overview of their country and making us feel at home during our stay.

⁽¹⁾ Latest official figures, according to the Ministry of Agriculture of Montenegro: about 4300 hectares of vines planted.
⁽²⁾ 2/3 of the country’s vineyard is used for commercial production; the rest has been planted by private individuals for personal production/consumption.
⁽³⁾ the kratosija variety is also known as Primitivo and Zinfandel.